


Cold Light

by Chrissss



Series: The Life and Times of Caelum the Keyblade Wielder [2]
Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Caelum was Strelitzia's friend, Ephie doesn't like red anymore, Everyone is an itty bitty baby child, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Lauriam is here for reasons that are not important to this one shot, No beta we die like illiterates, possibly probably spoilers for Memoriam Dolorum, the Keyblade War SUCKS, though that is technically not required reading, warning: this is very sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:42:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25692988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrissss/pseuds/Chrissss
Summary: In another universe, Ephemer and Skuld made it in time.
Relationships: Ephemer & Player Character (Kingdom Hearts), Player Character & Skuld (Kingdom Hearts)
Series: The Life and Times of Caelum the Keyblade Wielder [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1863196
Comments: 21
Kudos: 44





	Cold Light

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I should be working on chapter 4 of MD, BUT I had watched a sad episode of The Expanse (really good sci-fi show if you haven't heard of it already) the other day and that inspired me to write this Angst. Or more accurately, retool my original idea for this scene to be even angstier and long enough to post as a one-shot XD. I was going to wait a while before posting because this most probably has spoilers for stuff in my main fic Memoriam Dolorum, but the lovely [Snowflake-of-Destruction](https://snowflake-of-destruction.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr wanted to see it so here it is XD. There are probably some inconsistencies in the writing, but eh.
> 
> Trigger warnings for blood and a brief description of grievous injuries. The injuries are glossed over, but I don't really shy away from blood so if that is upsetting to you please don't read this! I guarantee you whatever is written here is not worth your mental health!

Ephemer raced with Skuld to where he could see his friend's body collapsed in the dirt, chanting under his breath, "Please don't be too late, please don't be too late, by the Light of Kingdom Hearts please don't be too late," while the teen they met earlier chased after them from far behind, cursing up a storm. It was as if Kingdom Hearts itself wanted them to see him, the heart-shaped moon directly above him, shining its light down onto him as the rain clouds broke overhead. The hearts of the fallen were rising above the desolate battlefield, but Ephemer paid them no mind.

When they  _ finally _ got there, he dropped to the ground, Skuld skidding on her knees next to him, and lifted Caelum into his arms, ignoring the horrible wounds and the way the light shone off the blood ( _ oh god there was so much blood,  _ **_Don't look Ephemer_ ** ), brought his ear to his friend's mouth, and nearly cried when he heard the quiet wheezes. His pants were already soaked with red. "Caelum. Caelum! Cae, please!"

"Caelum, please wake up!" Skuld pulled out her Keyblade and sobbed out, “Curaga. Curaga!  _ Curaga _ !” Green healing magic covered Caelum’s form, but while it did help reduce the terrible gashes scattered around his body and fixed, it did little for the large, angry stab wound in the center of his chest ( **why did you look?** ), and Ephemer realized that no amount of magic they would be able to cast would help. Not anymore. Not with the amount of blood Caelum had no doubt lost already. He felt helplessness and grief claw at his heart as Skuld lowered her keyblade, the same hopeless realization reflected in her face. Movement caught his eye and he snapped his gaze to Caelum’s face.

Caelum coughed and slowly opened his eyes, gaze hazy as he tried to make out who was holding him. "Ephie...? You're... you're-" he let out a hacking cough followed by a teary laugh, "- you're late." he smiled through his tears and Ephemer could do nothing but smile back as his own tears ran freely down his face.

"Yeah. I’m sorry. I got caught up in some things." He chuckled and hoisted Caelum higher into his arms, "But I'm here now, and Skuld is with me too, see?" He sh ifted Caelum slightly so he could get a better look.

Caelum sighed out, "Skuld..."

Skuld was sobbing but still managed to smile and choke out, "I'm here Cae, I'm here."

"Oh...that's… that’s nice... I got to-" Caelum coughed again, and for a lot longer, blood seeping out of his mouth, and he moved to look up at Kingdom Hearts, "- see you… again.” Another teary laugh escaped and more blood bubbled out, Caelum coughing again.

The teen, Lauriam he remembered, finally caught up and let out a quiet “Oh gods”. Skuld was quietly sobbing against him, and Ephemer was shaking so bad, but he ignored it because Caelum started to speak again.

“Who’s…who’s that?” Lauriam crouched behind Ephemer and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, kid.” Tears were gathering in his eyes, Ephemer could see it, but he didn’t let them fall. “My name’s Lauriam. It’s nice to meet you.”

Caelum squinted a bit before coughing out, “Strel’s… big brother? I finally… got to meet you.”

Lauriam’s eyes widened in shock before realization hit. “You’re Zia’s friend. The one she was always talking about.” Caelum chuckled.

“I guess… I am. Figures I’d get to meet you… before I die.” More tears streamed down Caelum’s dirty face.

Ephemer froze. No. Not yet. “Hey, hey. We’re gonna get you out of here. You’re gonna be fine. We’re-” a sob crawled its way out of his throat, “-we’re gonna patch you up, and then we’re gonna go home. We’re gonna go home and sleep for a week and then do all our favorite things.”

Skuld sniffed and continued for him. “Yeah! You’re gonna be okay Cae! We’re gonna go to that café you like so much and we can get ice cream and cake and complain about sucky missions.”

Caelum’s lip lifted slightly. “I still think… chocolate swirl… is the best… ice cream flavor.”

Ephemer gasped in mock outrage. “Blasphemy! Sea Salt reigns supreme! Right Lauriam?” He turned his head to see Lauriam wipe his eyes (not like it did any good, more tears just kept coming).

“You’re all wrong. Everyone knows strawberry is the superior flavor.”

Everyone laughed wetly before Caelum started hacking and  _ didn’t stop _ .

“ **Cae!** ” “Caelum!” Blood splattered onto Ephemer’s shirt but he  _ didn’t care _ . His precious friend was  _ dying _ and there was  **_nothing he could do_ ** .

Caelum’s coughs turned into quiet sobs and Skuld grabbed one of his hands.

“There wasn’t……. any point…. To ANY of this.” Everyone kept quiet as Caelum spoke. His eyes shifted to look at the moon above. “Didn’t anyone… realize that… Kingdom Hearts is so  _ cold? _ ” Ephemer looked up at the shining face of Kingdom Hearts and realized that Cae was  _ right.  _ Kingdom Hearts was  **cold** .

“Ephie…?” Foretellers above, he sounded so  _ young _ . Because he was. They all were. Gods, Skuld had told him they had celebrated Cae’s twelfth birthday just a few weeks ago.

“What is it Cae?” He could barely see beyond the tears clogging his eyes.

“…  _ I’m scared Ephie. _ ” Lauriam made a quiet sound of grief behind him and Skuld cried harder. Ephemer choked on a sob.

“It’ll be alright. You just-” He couldn’t finish, just bowed his head over Caelum’s and cried.

A small, bloodstained hand touched his face and he raised his head to meet Caelum’s eyes. He was looking at him with a small, sad smile, lips stained red _ red _ **_red_ ** _. _

“… Ephie…Skuld...?” a quiet, broken whisper left Caelum’s lips and Ephemer made a questioning noise, unable to speak. Skuld looked up from where she was clutching Caelum’s hand. “Thank you…. for not……letting me……...die……… alone………...” The hand on Ephemer’s cheek slipped off and fell to the ground and Caelum went limp. Ephemer jolted forward, hands grasping his slack face.

“No. No!  _ Caelum!  _ **_CAELUM!_ ** _ ”  _ Ephemer cried out in anguish and Skuld wailed up to the sky as a battered, crystalline heart floated up and Caelum’s lifeless body started to dissolve into light .

“ _ NO! _ ” Skuld sobbed into the ground as Ephemer tried to stifle his sobs into his hands. Lauriam’s quiet cries of grief were lost to the wind as he wrapped his arms around them and pulled them close, letting them cry their tears into his shirt. Ephemer would never be able to look at his scarf again. Not after  _ this _ . He reached up and untied it, placing it where only blood-soaked earth marked where Caelum fell. His own personal grave marker. He turned his face back into Lauriam’s chest and sobbed anew.

High above, the cold, cold light of Kingdom Hearts continued to shine.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~ 

Long after the three children left, Luxu stood over the little red scarf, lost in thought. Then he grabbed the rusted Starlight that had appeared near it and stabbed it into the earth, gently picking up the scarf and tying it to the keyblade, before weaving a spell on the makeshift gravestone to protect it from the wear of weather and time. This was one grave that wouldn’t be left to rot in the barren wasteland, one among thousands.

“I’m sorry little one. I hope you found your reason for fighting, and that it was enough.”

**Author's Note:**

> A full list of the injuries, some very fatal some less so, that Caelum was sporting, most of which Ephie and Skuld didn't know about:  
> -lacerations and gashes in multiple areas  
> -three broken ribs  
> -fractures in one of his arms  
> -broken leg  
> -hairline skull fracture  
> -punctured lung from one of the ribs (the main reason he's coughing up blood)  
> -stab wound in his chest that clipped his heart. Did not pierce it which is the only reason he didn't die almost immediately  
> -concussion  
> -exhaustion (while not an injury, it definitely did not help)
> 
> I just realized I completely forgot about Chirithy when I was writing this. Oops. Let's just pretend that Chirithy had already faded for Max Sad.
> 
> Let me know what you thought down in the comments, just please be kind, to myself and to each other.  
> You can come yell at me on Tumblr at [tina-nina](https://tina-nina.tumblr.com/) my ask box is always open, or, if you want, you can join my discord [HERE](https://discord.gg/7emm2Ur) (https://discord.gg/7emm2Ur). I ramble _a lot_ about my fic there, a lot more than Tumblr, so if you aren't afraid of unmarked spoilers come say hi! We also just chat a lot about KH in general and enable each other's fic ideas XD. Let me know if the links don't work, I haven't had much luck with them :/.


End file.
